


softie (you are my future)

by byunkies



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Tags Are Hard, jaemin is a panicked bi, jisung and donghyuck are minor characters, mark is cocky but cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 00:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15740730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byunkies/pseuds/byunkies
Summary: the spilling of marinara sauce on a white shirt leads to disastrous results, and it’s even worse if one happens to do such a thing to their biggest crush.





	softie (you are my future)

the school cafeteria is an extremely dangerous place. the crowds of students in every direction, the baby carrots being thrown from side to side, and, of course, the dangerously sharp jawline at least three feet away from jaemin. 

 

 

he sucks in a breath and tightens his grip on his lunch tray. he looks down from mark's jawline to his angelic white shirt, and for just a moment, he wonders of what’s beneath the shirt before strictly reminding himself:  _no, we don’t need to go there, jaemin; we're very hormonal but also very underage, so no thank you!_

 

 

he moves his main focus to his group of friends' table, which is conveniently located just two tables diagonally of mark's, which calls for the perfect opportunity of unnoticed staring. he begins walking that direction, but not for long when he crashes into another student. 

 

 

“oh, my god," he says, flushing a light pink. "i am  _so_ sorry, god, let me get you some napkins for your shirt," he takes note of the pure white shirt with marinara sauce stained all over it. jaemin looks up to the poor victim's face and, well —  shit.  all signs of living escape from jaemin's body and he pales. did he  _actually_ just stain  _mark lee's_ perfectly white shirt with freaking  _marinara sauce?_

 

 

mark responds with, what jaemin openly admits very soothing, a calm tone, “it’s fine, it’s not like this is my only shirt." he flashes him a friendly smile, and jaemin swears that his heart has most definitely evacuated his chest due to over-beating. 

 

 

jaemin comes to his senses and sprints to get napkins, then brings back around five napkins and gives them to mark with wide eyes. “yeah,” he awkwardly replies, the corners of his lips shaking, “you probably  _do_ have more shirts than that one. we all do! not that we all have that shirt, but more like we all have multiple shirts. well, the majority of the population does. but, i do really like that shirt, especially on you, so i do want to try and get the marinara off of it so you can wear it again!”

 

 

he only processes what he said after saying it and he knows that he’s made a huge mistake. he hears donghyuck's voice taunting him, _“_ _ooh, the panicked bi jumped out! the panicked bi is escaped and ready to panic, especially for mark lee! the panicked bi has been ready to panic for mark lee ever since the eighth grade and still is during the eleventh grade! na jaemin, the owner of the panicked bi, is going to evaporate any moment now!”_ it’s quite sad to know that donghyuck never shuts up, not even in thoughts. 

 

 

 

but, mark just smiles even wider and laughs. yes, he  _laughs_ ,  and it’s directed toward jaemin, who has an unattainably awkward smile plastered on his face. he begins to laugh with his entire body, doubling over and slapping his thigh. jaemin simply watches the canadian with nothing but confusion (and admiration) until he gets himself together and is ready to speak again. “oh, sorry, that was just, like, the funniest and cutest thing i’ve ever heard. like, seriously — i wish i recorded that. jesus christ... also, do you want to come and help me get this stuff off of my shirt in the bathroom? before you can say no, it’s actually a demand. come with me." 

 

 

and so jaemin does. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

— 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in the bathroom, mark makes the point that taking off his shirt should make things easier to get the stain out (jaemin disagrees, but more for the fact that his little sixteen year-old self can’t handle seeing mark shirtless, but mark takes his shirt off anyway). 

 

 

so, mark's shirtless and is rinsing his shirt in the sink, and jaemin is sitting on another sink, feet dangling, while clutching onto multiple paper towels for drying. 

 

 

“you’re pretty quiet now compared to earlier," mark notes aloud. 

 

 

jaemin ponders on how to reply to that. “there’s nothing to say.”  crap, too poetic. 

 

 

mark nods, then questions, “so, how long’s it been?” 

 

 

“about seven minutes.” 

 

 

“no, not about that. how long have you liked me?" 

 

 

jaemin chokes on air and gapes at the older. “how did you-“ 

 

 

“you forget that i’m on the football team, plus i know a thing or two about detecting crushes on me," he explains nonchalantly. jaemin gulps down a tiny  oh and kicks his feet in shame. “so come on, tell me. it’s not like i know you well enough to think differently of you, no offense." 

 

 

"ha, none taken." jaemin cringes at his poor choices of words. “well, ever since eighth grade when i saw you do finger guns to yourself in the bathroom mirror, i guess." 

 

 

“what- seriously?!” 

 

 

“uh, yeah. i don’t know, i found it really cute, and ever since then, i just sort of let things develop on their own and yeah.” 

 

 

mark furrows his eyebrows. “it’s not because of anything sport-related?" jaemin shakes his head. “not because i’m part of the popular group?" jaemin shakes his head again. “not even because of my stupid english phrases?" 

 

 

“well, those are really cute and add on to the entire reason.” 

 

 

“great, so you like me because of all of my dorky-ass things." 

 

 

jaemin nods his head slowly with a shy smile. the two make eye contact and hold it, neither one really wanting to break it. the contact breaks only when a student comes into the bathroom and stares at the two others. the student (his name is jisung, jaemin thinks) makes a sour expression and comments, “weirdos.” he then leaves the bathroom, and both mark and jaemin turn red and burst out into laughter. 

 

 

two minutes or so pass by, and the duo are finally situated and calm. “damn,” mark smiles, “is now the time where i ask you to hang out after school?" 

 

 

jaemin’s eyes turn wide and his jaw drops slightly. “like, in what way?" 

 

 

“like, we go and get ice cream or something and i walk you home and then we talk at your front door and i kiss you, way, maybe?" 

 

 

“oh, holy shit, count me in." 

**Author's Note:**

> markmin peoples !!!!!! ily all chuchu august is markmin month so expect a LOT of markmin from me Haha


End file.
